U.S. patent application number 13/435162 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-03 for foam filled panel with sealed decorative stitching and process for manufacture thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toyota Motor Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Garland Wayne Brookshire, Michael Brent Hampton, Chase Perry Nelson, Takashi Niwa, Timothy A. Pittaluga, Kerry Scott Zellner, JR.. Invention is credited to Garland Wayne Brookshire, Michael Brent Hampton, Chase Perry Nelson, Takashi Niwa, Timothy A. Pittaluga, Kerry Scott Zellner, JR..
Application Number | 20130260086 13/435162 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49235402 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130260086 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zellner, JR.; Kerry Scott ;
et al. |
October 3, 2013 |
FOAM FILLED PANEL WITH SEALED DECORATIVE STITCHING AND PROCESS FOR
MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Abstract
A foam filled panel with decorative thread stitching is
provided. In addition, the stitching can be sealed to prevent
leakage of foam when it is injected between a substrate and a skin
layer to provide a foam filled panel. The decorative thread
stitching can be sewn into the skin layer of the foam filled panel
before the panel is assembled and filled with injectable foam. In
addition, the skin can be made via slush molding, which allows
various features and details to be molded into the skin. In some
instances, the stitching can be sealed by adhesively attaching an
impermeable membrane along a length of the stitching, thereby
covering all the openings. In other instances, the stitching is
sealed by using an expandable thread. Also disclosed is a process
for manufacturing a foam filled panel with decorative thread
stitching.
Inventors: |
Zellner, JR.; Kerry Scott;
(Saline, MI) ; Nelson; Chase Perry; (Cincinnati,
OH) ; Pittaluga; Timothy A.; (Union, KY) ;
Hampton; Michael Brent; (Lexington, KY) ; Brookshire;
Garland Wayne; (Versailles, KY) ; Niwa; Takashi;
(Nagoya-City, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Zellner, JR.; Kerry Scott
Nelson; Chase Perry
Pittaluga; Timothy A.
Hampton; Michael Brent
Brookshire; Garland Wayne
Niwa; Takashi |
Saline
Cincinnati
Union
Lexington
Versailles
Nagoya-City |
MI
OH
KY
KY
KY |
US
US
US
US
US
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota
KY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America,
Inc.
Erlanger
|
Family ID: |
49235402 |
Appl. No.: |
13/435162 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/102 ;
264/46.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29L 2031/3008 20130101;
B32B 5/20 20130101; B32B 2605/003 20130101; Y10T 428/24033
20150115; B60R 13/0256 20130101; B32B 7/08 20130101; B60R 13/02
20130101; B29C 44/1228 20130101; B32B 5/18 20130101; B29C 44/145
20130101; B29C 44/351 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/102 ;
264/46.5 |
International
Class: |
B32B 3/06 20060101
B32B003/06; B29C 65/62 20060101 B29C065/62 |
Claims
1. A foam filled panel with a decorative thread stitching
comprising: a substrate layer, a skin layer, a decorative thread
stitching extending through and across said skin layer, an
injectable foam layer and a sealing component; said sealing
component extending across said decorative thread stitching and
preventing liquid foam used to produce said injectable foam layer
from leaking through said decorative thread stitching and said skin
layer.
2. The foam filled panel of claim 1, wherein said sealing component
is an impermeable membrane extending across said on an inside
surface of said skin layer.
3. The foam filled panel of claim 2, wherein said skin is a slush
molded skin layer.
4. The foam filled panel of claim 1, wherein said sealing component
is a decorative thread that expands when placed in contact with
moisture, wherein expansion of said decorative thread fills an open
space between said decorative thread and a hole in said skin
layer.
5. The foam filled panel of claim 4, wherein said skin is a slush
molded skin layer.
6. The foam filled panel of claim 1, wherein said decorative
stitching has a top thread and a bottom thread, said bottom thread
disposed along an inside surface of said skin layer and said top
thread disposed along an outside surface of said skin layer.
7. The foam filled panel of claim 6, wherein said skin is a slush
molded skin layer.
8. The foam filled panel of claim 6, wherein said sealing component
is said bottom thread, said bottom thread expanding when wet and
filling an open space between said bottom thread and a hole in said
skin layer.
9. The foam filled panel of claim 8, wherein said skin is a slush
molded type of material.
10. The foam filled panel of claim 1, wherein said skin has a
protrusion extending therefrom, said protrusions operable to
provide at least one of a stop and start for a sewing machine
pressure foot during sewing of said decorative thread
stitching.
11. The foam filled panel of claim 1, wherein said skin has a
perforation extending inwardly from an edge of said skin, said
perforation operable for an individual to grasp said skin and
provide a tear along said perforation.
12. A process for manufacturing a foam filled panel with decorative
thread stitching, the process comprising: providing a substrate
layer, providing a skin layer, providing a decorative thread,
providing an injectable foam, sewing the skin layer with decorative
thread stitching, sealing an open space between the decorative
thread and plurality of holes created in the skin layer, contacting
the skin layer up against the substrate to form a bounded region,
filling the bounded region with the injectable foam.
13. The process of claim 12, wherein an impermeable membrane is
adhesively attached along the decorative thread stitching on an
inside surface of the skin layer to seal the open space between the
decorative thread and plurality of holes created in the skin
layer.
14. The process of claim 13, wherein the skin layer is a slush
molded skin layer.
15. The process of claim 12, wherein the decorative thread expands
when in contact with moisture, and the thread being wetted to
expand and seal the open space between the decorative thread and
plurality of holes created in the skin layer before the foam is
injected.
16. The process of claim 15, wherein the skin layer is a slush
molded skin layer.
17. The process of claim 12, wherein the decorative thread
stitching is comprised of a top thread and a bottom thread, the
bottom thread expanding when in contact with moisture, and the
bottom thread being wetted to expand and seal the open space
between the decorative thread and plurality of holes created in the
skin layer before the foam is injected.
18. The process of claim 17, wherein the skin layer is a slush
molded skin layer.
19. The process of claim 12, further including providing a
protrusion extending from the skin layer and placing a sewing
machine pressure foot up against the protrusion before starting the
sewing of the decorative thread stitching.
20. The process of claim 12, further including providing a
perforation in the skin layer and extending inwardly from an edge
of the skin layer a predefined distance, and tearing the skin layer
along the perforation to provide a slot.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a foam filled panel, and
in particular, to a foam filled panel with sealed decorative
stitching.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Panels that have a layer of foam between an outer skin and
an inner substrate are known. Such panels typically have the layer
of foam extending across at least part of the substrate layer with
the skin extending across the foam layer such that a three layered
panel is provided. For example, instrument panels for motor
vehicles can include such a panel with the substrate typically made
from a polymeric material and the skin made from a flexible sheet
material such as leather, flexible polymeric materials and the
like. In between the substrate and the skin, the foam layer
provides a cushioned appearance and/or feel, which can provide the
look and feel of a luxury vehicle and the like. To increase the
luxurious look, decorative stitching may be added to the skin of
the panel, making it appear to have a higher level of craftsmanship
and detail.
[0003] Production methods known to those skilled in the art of a
panel typically include placing the substrate and the skin in a
clamshell foam-filling apparatus such that upon closure of the
clamshell apparatus the edges of the skin are joined against
appropriate regions of the substrate to create a bounded region
between the skin layer and the substrate layer. The bounded region
between the skin and substrate is then filled with injectable foam
padding. However, a problem arises when the skin is pre-sewn with
decorative thread stitching, being that the injectable foam can
leak out of the bounded area through a space between the decorative
thread and a hole created in the skin by a sewing needle when the
decorative thread was stitched in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A foam filled panel with decorative thread stitching is
provided. In addition, the stitching can be sealed to prevent
leakage of foam when it is injected between a substrate and a skin
layer to provide a foam filled panel.
[0005] The decorative thread stitching can be sewn into the skin
layer of the foam filled panel before the panel is assembled and
filled with injectable foam. In addition, the skin can be made via
slush molding, which allows various features and details to be
molded into the skin. One of these features can be a recessed
valley or crevice designed to look like a seam. In some instances,
the stitching can be a "French seam" and run parallel along both
sides of the recessed valley and thereby provide an appearance of
separate pieces of skin sewn together when in fact there is only a
single skin piece. In other instances, the stitch can be a "deck
seam" that has only one stitch line that is provided along a skin
flap that is folded over onto itself. In any event, the stitching
can be sewn by sewing machine and have a top thread and a bottom
thread.
[0006] Once the decorative thread stitching has been sewn, openings
between a needle hole in the skin and thread within the needle hole
can be sealed to prevent the liquid foam from leaking out through
the openings. In some instances, the stitching can be sealed by
adhesively attaching an impermeable membrane along a length of the
stitching, thereby covering all the openings. The membrane can be
attached on a side of the skin that will be facing a substrate
backing and is not visible from an exterior of the panel when
manufacture thereof is completed. In other instances, the stitching
is sealed using an expandable thread. For example, a thread that
expands when wet can be used for stitching the skin layer, the
thread expanding to fill the open space between the needle hole and
the thread. Where the stitching has a top and a bottom thread, only
one thread can be an expanding type thread, while the other thread
can be a nonexpanding type thread. As such, using the stitching
with a top and a bottom thread allows designers to select one
thread based on expansion characteristics and the other thread
based on aesthetic characteristics.
[0007] The skin with decorative thread stitching that has been
sealed as discussed above can be attached or joined with a
substrate layer to create a bounded and/or void area therebetween.
This bounded area can be filled with an injectable foam padding
material and thereby create a foam filled panel with decorative
thread stitching.
[0008] Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing a foam filled
panel with decorative thread stitching. The process can include
providing a substrate layer, a skin layer, a decorative thread and
an injectable foam. The skin, which can be made from a slush molded
material, can include a molded seam and/or a deck seam sewn with
the decorative thread. The sewing can be done by machine utilizing
a top and bottom thread, or in the alternative, only one thread.
Sewing of the skin layer can create holes in the skin where the
needle and thread pass therethrough and an open space can be
present between the thread and the hole. In addition, the process
can seal open space between the thread and the hole to prevent the
injectable foam from leaking out during the foam filling
process.
[0009] Sealing the open space between the thread and the holes in
the skin can be done by adhesively attaching an impermeable
membrane along the decorative thread stitching. The membrane can be
attached along the surface of the skin that will be closest to the
substrate layer before the skin is attached or joined to the
substrate and a bounded region between the substrate layer and the
skin layer is filled with liquid foam material.
[0010] Sealing the open space around the thread in the holes in the
skin can also be accomplished by using a thread that expands in
response to moisture as discussed above, with the thread wetted to
expand and seal the holes before the bounded region is filled with
foam.
[0011] In addition to the above, the skin can have one or more
raised protrusions, also referred to as a bump(s), that can be used
as a start location and/or a stop location for a sewing machine
and/or a sewing machine pressure foot such that accurate and
consistent start and/or stop stitching locations are provided on
the skin. Furthermore, the skin can be slush molded with a
three-dimensional corner region and one or more perforations
extending inwardly from an edge of the skin a predefined amount
such that before the decorative thread stitching has been applied
to the skin, the skin can be torn along the perforations to provide
a slot or slit. In addition, the slot or slit can afford the edge
and/or three-dimensional corner regions of the skin proximate to
the crevice or skin flap to be more easily flattened and sewn
without the need of specialized sewing machine equipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foam filled panel having
decorative thread stitching according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0013] FIG. 1A is an expanded view of the circled region 1A in FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a portion of the
foam filled panel having decorative thread stitching with an
impermeable membrane placed or attached across the stitching;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of a portion of the
foam filled panel having decorative thread stitching which expands
in response to moisture to seal the stitching;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the
foam filled panel having decorative thread stitching which does not
expand;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the
foam filled panel having decorative thread stitching which expands
in response to moisture to seal in the foam;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top view of slush molded skin having a pair of
bumps for providing an accurate start and stop location for
decorative thread stitching and a perforation for providing a tear
location proximate to an edge of the skin;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side view of the skin shown in FIG. 6;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a top view of the skin shown in FIG. 6 after the
decorative thread stitching has been applied and the perforation
has been used to provide a tear proximate the edge or corner of the
skin; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the skin shown in FIG. 8
illustrating a pair of slots or slits that aid in flattening
three-dimensional corner regions of the skin before and during
sewing thereof and thereby aiding in the sewing operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0022] The present invention provides a foam filled panel with
decorative thread stitching. As such, the present invention has
utility as a component for a motor vehicle.
[0023] The foam filled panel with decorative thread stitching can
be in the form of an instrument panel for a motor vehicle, however
this is not required. In addition, the foam filled panel can be
made from a three layer design having a substrate layer and a skin
layer, herein also referred to simply as a substrate and a skin,
respectively. The skin and the substrate can be attached or joined
by methods known to those skilled in the art to create a bounded or
void area which is filled with injectable foam to form an
injectable foam padding layer.
[0024] The decorative thread can be stitched into the skin before
the skin and substrate are attached or joined to each other, and
the decorative thread stitch can be sealed so that the injectable
foam does not leak through holes created during the stitching or
sewing process. It is appreciated that the substrate layer, the
skin layer, and the injectable foam padding layer can be made from
any material known to those skilled in the art, illustratively
including plastics, leather, elastomeric material, polymer sheet
materials, metals, alloys, ceramics, wood, cloth materials, fiber
materials and the like.
[0025] The skin layer can include a molded depression or crevice
that creates a visual seam and the decorative thread stitching can
be sewn along each side of the molded depression to give an
appearance of separate sheets of skin being sewn together. In the
alternative, the skin can have a fold or flap folded over itself
and single decorative thread stitching can be sewn over the fold
live to give an appearance of a seam.
[0026] Turning now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a foam filled panel
with decorative thread stitching in the form of an instrument panel
for a motor vehicle is shown generally at reference number 10. The
panel 10 can have a substrate layer 30, a skin layer 20, and an
injectable foam padding layer 25 in the bounded region between the
skin layer 20 and the substrate layer 30 as shown in FIG. 1A. The
skin layer 20 can have molded depressions or crevices 70, along
which decorative thread stitching 15 can be sewn to give an outer
surface of the panel 10 a more luxurious appearance.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a front cross sectional view of a portion
of the panel 10 utilizing an impermeable membrane 45 secured to an
inside surface 40 of the skin layer 20. The impermeable membrane 45
can extend over or across the decorative thread stitching 15 and
seal the decorative thread stitching 15. It is appreciated that the
sealing of the stitching 15 can prevent injectable foam 25 from
leaking out of an open space 50 between a hole created when the
skin layer 20 is sewn with the thread 15. In a preferred embodiment
the impermeable membrane 45 is adhesively attached to the skin
layer 20.
[0028] Turning now to FIGS. 3-5, front and side cross sectional
views of a portion of a foam filled panel with decorative stitching
are shown. The decorative thread stitching 15 can be machine
stitched to have top thread 55 which is visible on the outside
surface 35 of the skin layer 20, and an expanding bottom thread 60
or a nonexpanding bottom thread 65. The expanding bottom thread 60
and the nonexpanding bottom thread 65 run along the inside surface
40 of the skin 20. If a nonexpanding bottom thread 65 is used, the
injectable foam padding 25 can leak through the open space 50 as
illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0029] An alternative to using an impermeable membrane 45 to seal
the open space 50 is to use the expanding bottom thread 60. The
expanding bottom thread 60 increases in diameter in response to
moisture, i.e. after coming into contact with moisture. As such,
after the thread 15 is stitched into the skin, the expanding bottom
thread 60 can be wetted, whereby it increases in diameter to fill
the open space 50 and seal the stitching 15 from any leaking
injectable foam 25 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. In a preferred
embodiment, the top thread 55 can be selected for it aesthetic
characteristics, and the expanding bottom thread 65 can be selected
for its expansion characteristics in response to moisture.
[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 6-7, the skin 20 is shown having a
protrusion or bump 23 extending therefrom. The bump 23 can be part
of the skin 20 and may or may not be made during the slush molding
of the skin 20. In addition, the bump 23 can provide a start and/or
stop location for a sewing machine pressure foot 29 to start and/or
stop against and thus afford an accurate start and/or start
location for the decorative thread stitching 15 as shown in FIG.
8.
[0031] FIGS. 6 and 8 also illustrate a perforation 24 within the
skin 20, the perforation 24 extending inwardly from an edge 22 of
the skin 20 a predefined distance. The perforation 24 can be in the
form of a plurality of indentations into the skin 20 and can be
used as a tear location or seam that affords for an individual to
grasp the skin 20 on both sides of the perforation and provide a
tear or slot 26 as shown in FIG. 8. It is appreciated that such a
tear or slot 26 can be proximate to a three-dimensional corner
region 27 of the skin 20. In addition, the tear or slot 26 affords
for the three-dimensional corner region 27 to be flattened before
and during sewing of the decorative thread stitching 15 without the
need for specialized sewing equipment. In this manner a sewing
machine that is typically used to sew the decorative thread
stitching 15 on generally flat portions of the skin 20 can also be
used to sew contoured portions of the skin 20.
[0032] The above embodiment and teachings are for illustrative
purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the
invention. As such, modifications, changes, and the like will occur
to those skilled in the art given the teaching herein and thus can
fall within the scope of the invention. As such, it is the claims
and all equivalents thereof that define the invention and its
scope.
* * * * *